Spiral perms are ideal for people with long hair. While you can adjust the width of the curl, spiral perms usually produce tight, full curls. You can do a spiral perm at home, but be aware of the fact that the procedure is time-consuming and tricky to master.

Steps

Part 1

Preparing Your Hair

1

Wash your hair gently. Thoroughly wash your hair immediately before you intend to perm it. You need to clean off any oil and grime, but you also need to be somewhat gentle.

Do not scrub your scalp since doing so often causes your skin to produce more oil.

A deep cleansing shampoo might be a good idea during this stage since it will thoroughly strip away the oils in your hair without causing irritation at your scalp.

If your hair is already somewhat dry, though, avoid using any shampoo that contains alcohol or a similarly drying solution. The perming process already dries out hair severely enough, and drying it out any further could cause long lasting damage.

2

Blot away excess water. Gently squeeze out any excess oil or blog it away with a clean, dry towel.

You should only blot away the water. Do not "scrub" your head with the towel.

Do not use a hair dryer.

Your hair must remain wet if you want the spiral perm to work correctly.

3

Comb out any knots. Use a wide-toothed comb to gently comb away any large knots or tangles in your wet hair.

A wide comb is better than a small one since small combs are more likely to cause breakages and damage, especially when used on wet hair.

4

Protect your clothes. To prevent any chemicals from getting on your clothes, you should wrap a towel around your shoulders.

If you have a hairdressing smock, consider wearing that, as well, to further protect your clothes.

Consider protecting your face by applying a small amount of petroleum jelly to the top of your forehead, just below and around the front hairline. Make sure that you do not get any of the petroleum jelly on the hair itself.

Part 2

Rolling the Curls

1

Grab a section of hair. Clip most of your hair on top of your head, then use a comb to part away a section of hair at the nape (neckline) roughly 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) wide.[1]

The standard thickness is 1/2 inch (1.25 cm), but to be more precise, you simply need to part away a section of hair that can comfortably sit on the end of the roller.

Also note that the size of this section will change the size of your curl.

All other sections that come after this first one should be roughly the same size as this one.

2

Cover the end of the section with paper. Fold the paper perm wrapper in half lengthwise and sandwich the end of the section in the bend.

Make sure that the paper perm wrapper extends all the way to the end of the hair section, fully covering the tips of your hair in the process. The wrapper can even extend a little past the tips of your hair. This can help ensure that the ends of your hair will be wrapped around the rod instead of bending improperly.

When the ends of a section bend improperly, you will usually see "frizzies" or "fish hooks" at the end of each curl.

3

Tuck the end of the section into a perm rod. Hold one spiral perm rod directly under the end of the section and over the perm wrapper. Roll the rod under, moving toward your head, until the hair is fully around the rod once.

The rod should be a nearly perpendicular to your section of hair.

You should wrap this section of hair near one end of the rod.

Note that a spiral perm rod is typically a long, slender, flexible rod. Some newer types are more rigid, but already bent into a final spiral shape.

4

Roll the rest of the section. Wrap the rod under the rest of that section of hair, allowing it to spiral up along the rod as you roll.

You need to wrap the hair on the rod at an angle. The top of the rod needs to tilt in toward your head, while the bottom, or starting end, needs to tilt slightly away.[2]

Gradually twist the hair and the rod as you wrap the curl. By the time you reach your head, the roller should rest against your scalp in a near vertical position.

Each turn around the rod should only partially overlap the turn before it.

5

Secure the rod. Once you roll the entire section and the rod is against the back of your head, bend the empty portion of the rod down so that the entire thing looks like a "U" or candy cane.

The hair at your scalp should be somewhat folded into the bend.

6

Repeat as needed. Continue dividing your hair into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) sections (or sections sized to match your first section). Cover the end of each section with a perm wrapper, then use a rod to wind the section into a curl.

Work from the bottom of your hairline up to the top. Working in this direction will give the rods a place to hang from the scalp.[3]

Wrap each divided section one at a time.

The sections you create do not need to be uniform. Oftentimes, the sections are divided into square segments, triangular segments, free-form segments, or a blend of two or more shapes. Dividing the hair in this matter helps prevent roller marks.

As you wrap various sections of your hair, you should notice that one section partially overlaps the previous layer.

If your hair begins to dry as you wrap it, spray it generously with water until it becomes damp again.

7

Apply the perm solution on each rod. If the perm solution is not pre-mixed, mix it according to the manufacturer's instructions inside a squeeze bottle with a pointed nozzle. Squeeze the solution over the wrapped hair of each rod.

Make sure that the hair on each rod is fully saturated with the perming solution.

8

Process the hair. Place one or two plastic shower caps over the rolled hair. Allow your hair to sit under a low heat for the amount of time indicated by the perming solution manufacturer.

Usually, the processing time will be about 20 minutes.

Use as many plastic shower caps as needed to cover the hair without smashing the rods. Putting plastic over your hair will help hold the heat in.

A salon-style hair dryer that you can sit under is ideal for this practice, but if you do not have access to one, you can usually apply heat from a handheld hair dryer set to low. Keep the hair dryer an arm's length away from your head. If your arm gets tired, work in three-minute to five-minute intervals instead of keeping the heat on your head consistently.

Part 3

Removing the Wrapping

1

Rinse the hair. After processing your hair, rinse it thoroughly for five to eight minutes under lukewarm to warm water.

Do not remove the rods yet.

The idea is to get as much of the solution out as possible. You will not be able to rinse out all of the solution at this point, however.

Rinse the root of each section and gradually move all the way out to the end of the rod.

If the hair feels especially damp, allow it to dry under low heat for another five minutes before continuing.

2

Apply neutralizer. Prepare the neutralizer solution if it is not already pre-mixed, and place that solution into another squeeze bottle with a pointed nozzle. Squeeze the neutralizer over each rod, thoroughly saturating each section of hair from root to tip.

Read the manufacturer's instructions for the neutralizer. Some may need to be processed under low heat for five minutes or so. Others do not need to be processed.

3

Remove the rods. Carefully remove each rod from your hair, working in the complete opposite manner as before. Remove the rods slowly and gently to prevent any tangles.

Start at the top of your head and work down toward your neckline.

Unbend each rod, then gradually unwind the hair until the rod slips off.

Remove the perm wrapper from the end of each section once the rod is off.

If recommended by the manufacturer, you can also apply a leave-in conditioner. If this is not explicitly recommended, though, do not use any conditioner.

5

Let your hair dry naturally.[4] Allow the hair to air dry completely. This can take a few hours, depending on the length of your hair.

Do not use any heat.

Do not stretch the hair at all as it dries.

You may need to gently detangle your hair with a wide-toothed comb as it dries, especially once the hair is nearly dry and only a little damp.

Part 4

Caring for the Spiral Perm

1

Do not wash your hair too soon. You should wait at least 48 hours before washing your hair with shampoo or conditioning your hair, unless otherwise instructed on your home perming kit.

If you wash your hair too soon, you could relax the waves and cause them to loosen or straighten out.

2

Choose gentle, moisturizing hair care products. Perms have a tendency to dry out your hair, even if you use a gentler formula. As a result, you should wash your hair with a gentle moisturizing shampoo and apply conditioner at least once a week.

Avoid any shampoo or other hair care product that contains alcohol.[5] Alcohol is one of the most drying, damaging solutions you can apply to your hair, especially after perming it.

3

Consider letting your hair air dry after wetting it. After each washing, dry the hair gently to prevent the perm from relaxing.

If you do not have time to let your hair air dry, attach a diffuser to the end of your hair dryer and blow dry your hair on low heat. Doing this should prevent the curls from straightening out.

4

Enjoy your perm. At this point, your spiral perm is done and should last for many months.

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Tips

Spiral perms can be done on hair of any length, but they generally work best with longer hair.

Consider getting a spiral perm done by a professional hairdresser instead of doing it at home, especially if you are nervous or uncomfortable about attempting it by yourself.

Warnings

If you have any wounds on your scalp, wait until they heal before using perm solution or any other chemical.

Always follow the instructions on the back of your home perming kit box.

If your hair is dyed, brittle, or otherwise notably dry, you should avoid perming it without first consulting a hairdresser. A professional hairdresser should be able to tell you whether or not it is safe to perm your hair.